It’s rare to hear a college football head coach talk down about his own program, especially when speaking directly to the media. Pointing out flaws on the field is one thing, but belittling a program on the national stage is enough to draw serious backlash from a fan base. A similar situation is unfolding ahead of the Week 6 slate, as UAB Blazers head coach Trent Dilfer is under fire for puzzling comments this week. This isn’t the first time Dilfer has received criticism for his remarks.
Just last week Dilfer went viral for an interesting take on the UAB program compared to the Alabama Crimson Tide. After the Blazers’ 41-18 loss to Navy, Dilfer ushered his grandson onto the press conference stage saying, “It’s not like this is freaking Alabama, lets go.” Dilfer made light of his Alabama comments when asked to clarify, stating, “This isn’t freaking Alabama’s press conference.”
It seems the situation has only gotten worse for Dilfer since that press conference. UAB fans are outraged again following Dilfer’s appearance on the Blazers’ official podcast, “The Inferno Podcast,” ahead of the matchup against Tulane on Saturday. While talking about volleyball with UAB athletic director Mark Ingram, Dilfer resorted to a recruiting pitch for Louisville. His daughter, Tori Dilfer, plays for the Cardinals. “Like if you want to play big time college volleyball go to Louisville,” Dilfer said. Ingram interrupted, saying, “Or UAB.” Dilfer acknowledged Ingram’s comments before pointing out the difficulties in recruiting against a major university as a Group of Five school.
TRENT DILFER WHAT ARE YOU DOING pic.twitter.com/IeV9qh57Hz
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) October 4, 2024
UAB fans are not happy with Dilfer’s belittling remarks. The UAB football program was shut down after the 2014 season for financial reasons but was reinstated after supporters pledged ** $ 17 million**. UAB won the program’s first conference championship and bowl game shortly after in 2018.
“Get Trent Dilfer out of UAB before he completely destroys everything,” a UAB fan wrote. Dilfer played quarterback at Fresno State before going on to a 13-year career in the NFL. He took the helm at UAB in 2023, signing a five-year deal worth $ 1.3 million per year.
This is his first coaching job at the collegiate level. Dilfer is 5-11 during his tenure in Birmingham, Alabama, including a 1-3 record to start the 2024 season. UAB will welcome Tulane (3-2) to Protective Stadium on Saturday for an AAC matchup, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET (ESPN+).
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